Overview
- Health authorities report more than 2,000 deaths and 4,381 confirmed cases as the outbreak driven by the Bundibugyo variant continues to expand rapidly.
- Experts say the virus circulated undetected for months because of diagnostic mismatches and sample handling problems, which delayed the May declaration and let infections spread before the response scaled up.
- Local insecurity, armed groups and community distrust are blocking case finding and safe burials, with WHO's Africa director saying responders see roughly 30% of cases while about 70% die at home.
- WHO experts have recommended a phase‑3 trial of Merck’s licensed Ervebo vaccine to test effectiveness against this outbreak, Gavi has offered doses from its global stockpile to support trials, and Moderna, Hilleman and Oxford candidates are entering clinical testing.
- Response capacity is strained by funding gaps, staff shortages and unpaid workers, officials say the epidemic has not peaked, and the outbreak could approach the scale of DRC’s 2018–2020 epidemic if surveillance and security hurdles are not resolved.